


Snakes and Worms

by purplebass



Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25653853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplebass/pseuds/purplebass
Summary: A Lightwood family fic with toddler Anna and Christopher set in 1891 by using the prompt "They're so cute when they're asleep."
Relationships: Cecily Herondale/Gabriel Lightwood
Kudos: 20
Collections: Gabrily





	Snakes and Worms

The ruby pendant glinted as Cecily looked at herself in the mirror. She never took the chain off her neck ever since her brother Will gave it to her many years before. It was useful that it gleamed every time there was demonic activity. This way, whenever they went out hunting for someone who was creating havoc in their world, they would be prepared to face the enemy. That day wasn’t one of those days, though. It was summer, and it wasn’t too humid, which meant the night wouldn’t be too hot and she would be able to sleep.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

Cecily, who was still brushing her dark hair, smirked at her reflection. “What do you want, brother? I’m preparing to go to bed.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I said I have to go to bed in a few minutes. Be quick,” she giggled, trying not to be too loud. She heard footsteps behind her, but she ordered herself not to turn.

“You’re so funny, Cecy.”

Her husband Gabriel appeared behind her and raised an eyebrow. She attempted to keep a straight face as she watched him with amusement. He seemed annoyed that she had purposely mistook him for Will, but she liked to tease him. “I like the expression you make whenever I do that,” she admitted. “You believed me.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “In your dreams.”

Cecily was still laughing. She noticed Gabriel’s half smile and exasperation. “I know that no husband would want to be confused with his brother-in-law, especially if said person teases him as much as his wife.”

He narrowed his eyes and sighed. “I came to terms with that when I decided to marry you.”

“That’s why I love you,” she admitted. She noticed he was glancing at her now, and his expression softened a bit. Then she moved so they would be facing each other. She circled her arms behind his neck and she felt his hands on her hips before she stood on the balls of her feet to reach his lips.

They broke apart and looked at each other lovingly until they heard someone scream.

“Mama! Papa!”

“Was that Christopher?” Gabriel asked his wife. Not that he didn’t know his son’s voice, but since they still lived at the Institute with the Herondales, it could have also been his nephew James, who was just one year older than Kit.

Cecily shrugged and grabbed Gabriel’s hand. “Let’s go check.”

The voice came from the nursery, that wasn’t a nursery anymore since Christopher and Lucie, the youngest children at the Institute, were already four years old. That room had been converted into their games room, and they usually reunited there to play or to train for fun.

They found Kit outside of the room, and he was crying. “What happened, _cariad_?” Cecily asked her son, lowering herself at eye level, noticing the door of the room closed.

“I’m scared, mama! Please, tell her to stop!”

“Who needs to stop?”

“Anna!”

Cecily and Gabriel exchanged a look and he rushed inside of the room. She stroked Kit’s cheek and tried to wipe his tears. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Are you hurt?”

Little Christopher shook his head and his sobs slowed down. “Mama, I’m afraid.”

“Of what? Can you tell me what scared you? What did Anna do?”

But Christopher couldn’t reply, because their conversation was cut short by Gabriel calling for Cecily inside of the gaming room.

“Do you want to stay here or you want to come with me?”

“I stay here. I don’t want to see that thing again!”

Cecily nodded and kissed Kit’s head, wondering what the _thing_ he was talking about was. “Alright, mama will be back soon.”

She opened the door and gasped when she saw what Christopher was talking about. “How have these snakes been brought up here?” She saw that Anna was holding a box and was trying to pick one of the two small snakes that were crawling on the rug at the center of the room, barely protected by some toys that the kids had thrown around there.

“Cecy, help me,” Gabriel pleaded, and she realized that he was on the other side of the room, holding a chair in front of him to protect himself from something.

“What are you doing there?”

“I’m keeping my distance from those slithering things,” he said, focusing on the snakes on the rug instead of looking at his wife in the eyes.

Cecily shook her head and reached Anna, who was still trying to catch one of the two snakes. “Anna, dear. Where did you get these?”

Anna, who was never a liar, gazed up at her mother with the same blue eyes. “I took them from uncle Henry’s lab in the basement,” she told her proudly with a smile.

“Why did he have snakes? Oh my,” she made an exasperated sigh. “Shouldn’t we give them back to him? Perhaps he’s wondering where they are.”

“Sure, mama. But I can’t get them back in their box,” Anna complained, trying to reach for the snake again.

“Don’t worry, I’ll do it,” Cecily offered.

“Cecy, be careful,” said Gabriel, who looked scared as much as Christopher.

Cecily smirked and then lowered herself on the rug, and she grabbed each one of the snakes by the tail with easiness. “Anna, give me the box,” she demanded, and then she threw the two reptiles in it and sealed the brown container. “Okay, they’re safe.”

Gabriel, who had put the chair he was holding back where it was, run to Cecily. “Are you two okay?” he wondered, looking at his daughter and wife with a worried expression.

“Yes, papa. I’m super okay. It was fun!” Anna exclaimed with glee.

“No, it wasn’t,” Gabriel commented. Cecily noticed he was scowling. “Please, don’t do that ever again, Anna. It’s not nice to take snakes out of their element.”

“I brought them so Kit could see them. But when I opened the box and they came out and started crawling and hissing on the rug, he grew scared and started crying.”

“Snakes bite, _cariad_. They could have bit you too. Some snakes are venomous. I know you were just trying to show them to your little brother, but you should have called an adult. Maybe next time ask uncle Henry before taking them?”

“You’re right, mama,” Anna nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I know you didn’t mean any harm,” Cecily said, stroking Anna’s cheek. “Now let’s go grab your little brother and go to bed, alright?”

The three of them found Christopher lying on the floor outside the gaming room, soundly asleep. “I’ll take him,” Gabriel offered, then they accompanied the children in their shared bedroom and tucked them to bed. Anna asked her parents to tell her a story to help her fall asleep, and they recounted once again about grandpa Benedict turning into a worm. This time, though, Anna was already asleep before they reached the end.

“They’re so cute when they’re asleep,” Cecily said, glancing at her two children with adoration before she grabbed Gabriel’s hand and hurried to the door so they could go to bed as well.

“They’re always cute. Without the snakes, though.”

“At least those snakes weren’t lethal.”

“Now I want to know how did you handle those snakes so fast.”

She tilted her head and glanced at him. “I grew up in the countryside, do you think there were just cows and sheep?”

“Well… yes?”

Cecily started laughing. “You were so cute when you were scared, earlier.”

“I wasn’t scared.”

“Huh?” she teased him. She noticed he was blushing, which she always found adorable.

They had just entered their bedroom when he pulled her towards him and kissed her fiercely.

“What was that for?” Cecily asked him once they had to stop to come up for air.

“You’re amazing, Cecy. And I love you.”

“You’re amazing too. Even if you’re scared of snakes.”

“I’m not scared of snakes!” he insisted, blushing even more than before.

“Let’s go to sleep, come on,” she suggested, then she gave him a peck on the lips and dragged him to bed.


End file.
